The Rise of Generalists

I’ll start off by saying that I’m not implying the demise of specialists. To truly innovate and push the limits of what is possible, we need specialists to help execute on concepts, experiments, and strategies in a way that isn’t easy to replicate and that brings delight to the end users.

Being a Generalist Who Gets Sh*t Done

My friend and colleague, Ronnie Burt (Gravatar) put up a posts a few months back that got a literal cheer out of me. The importance of embracing generalists “who do”. He argues that generalists are essential doers who can adapt to various roles and tasks, making them invaluable in an ever-changing tech landscape. Ronnie and I think alike about many things so I initially stored this in my head as personal validation, and then I reflected a bit.

Throughout my career I’ve been identified as someone who can “figure it out”, “pull things together,” “be the glue,” and “get shit done.” Every “moment” where I’ve really been able to shine has come back to my ability to learn quickly, adapt process, and move things forward.

The value of being a generalist isn’t just in having a collection of skills, it’s in being able to develop AND apply them effectively.

At this point, I’m guessing some of you are asking questions like, “What does that mean in practice?” or “How do you communicate the value of being a generalist in a coherent way?”

Here’s a little framework I use before jumping in or offering to help with something:

• Am I an expert designer? No, but I can give you meaningful and actionable feedback out the experience and aesthetics.

• Am I a technical SEO? No, but I can get into search console and developer tools to figure out if you have specific errors or indexing problems that need to be dealt with.

• Am I a novelist or expert copy writer? No, but I’ve written copy that has powered top performing campaigns, driven in-product engagement, and resulted in improved clarity for users who were frustrated and lost in complex products.

Communicate your ability to solve a problem or move something forward, while being clear about your limits.

I’m not trying to brag. In fact, I would say that I’ve been criticized more than praised for being a generalist. When people ask, “What are you best at?” I tend to answer with something like, “Solving really hard problems.” Some people, the people I like to work with, love this answer, but many companies tend to shy away from generalists because they know they don’t scale… or do they?

The History of Specialization in Tech

The concept of specialization (at scale) can be traced back to the assembly line, pioneered by Henry Ford in the early 20th century. By assigning workers to specific tasks, efficiency and productivity skyrocketed, solving the problem of time-consuming manual production. This approach laid the foundation for modern specialization, where focused expertise in areas like software engineering, cybersecurity, and data analytics emerged as technology advanced.

The 1980s and 1990s saw the rise of roles like software engineers and network administrators. By the 2000s, the internet boom created niches for web developers, cybersecurity experts, and data analysts. The last decade has pushed this even further with AI, blockchain, and IoT specialists becoming essential. Specialization brought several benefits, such as deep expertise, increased efficiency, and the ability to solve complex problems within specific domains.

I have a deep respect for people who are truly experts in their craft, and I’d go as far to say that there’s a huge benefit to having some of those people on your team. That being said, I think traditional team dynamics are changing drastically and roles will shift.

Limitations of Specialization

While specialization has its advantages, it also comes with limitations worth considering:

Risk of Obsolescence: Highly specialized roles risk becoming obsolete if their specific technology declines in popularity or becomes unsupported, limiting career mobility and making transitions challenging.

A LOT of people are concerned about this right now with AI, and if they’re not doing anything to change how they think about their role and how it will evolve — they should be.

Limited Flexibility: Specialists’ narrow focus can restrict their ability to adapt to changing job requirements or move into roles requiring a broader skill set.

One of the places I’ve seen this come into play most is with software engineers. Great engineers aren’t always great architects. Really efficient engineers aren’t always thoughtful about UX. Asking a high performing engineer to step into a role where they have leadership and responsibility over a project or initiative can cause them to overload.

Note: I’ve obviously worked with incredible engineers who have overcome all of these things, but I’ve also managed and coached many of them as they learned to think differently about their work and their role, and I can say that it’s not always a natural “built-in” ability.

Dependence on Technology and Process: Specialists rely heavily on the continued relevance of their specific technology. If it becomes outdated, their skills may lose value.

Consider the market for graphic designers before Canva came along and made it easy for anyone to design something beautiful? A select few actually knew how to use the available graphic design tools to create something of value. Now we have tools like Canva and UIzard, and Runway ML to help visualize their ideas.

Lack of Versatility: Transitioning into new projects or industries can be difficult for specialists, as their expertise is often highly niche and built on a deep knowledge of how things work within a specific space.

I encourage everyone to look for opportunities to branch outside of their comfort zones to leverage what they have learned in a new way AND to pick up some new skills. I love the idea of rotations and this toolbox for evaluating your own career.

While there are many downsides to working in an agency/services setting, limited experience isn’t one of them. I’ve been able to see different approaches to similar problems in totally different contexts and bring that perspective into whatever I’m working on.

AI and Generalism

Yes, for the sake of this post “generalism” is now a real word.

Despite the focus on specialization, the tech industry also values those with a broad skill set. Generalists, sometimes called "full-stack" professionals, can navigate multiple layers of technology stacks and adapt to evolving requirements. This flexibility makes them invaluable in dynamic environments that leverage them as the connective tissue or “glue” to ensure sh*t gets done.

AI is set to significantly impact the value of generalists in tech companies. As AI automates more specialized tasks, generalists with a broad skill set and ability to adapt quickly will become increasingly valuable. Their versatility allows them to pivot between roles and projects as needed, and their ability to learn quickly means that most of them are already hands on with AI and learning how to do the things they traditionally haven’t been able to do.

Generalists will play a crucial role in bridging the gap between highly specialized AI/technical teams and non-technical stakeholders, facilitating effective communication and collaboration. With AI handling specific tasks, generalists' ability to see the bigger picture and understand how different components (technology, business, user experience) fit together will be highly prized.

I see generalists acting as catalysts and conductors, leveraging and orchestrating their own army of agents to shape and validate new ideas and opportunities before any specialists are brought in.

The wall of perceived limitations that has traditionally been associated with generalists was knocked down (and continues to be crumbled) by AI. Which ultimately creates new problem spaces where we can thrive. Many of my favorite product leaders have already been “tinkering” to learn new information and give their teams more direction.

Peter Yang recently did an interview with Paul Adams, CPO of Intercom, and I LOVE how he talked about when to hire a generalist. Paul emphasizes how the ability to learn quickly, tinker, and move on from what you know and what you have done is critical — specifically at this point in time. (I timestamped it close to the part I mentioned but the whole thing is worth watching/listening to)

My Tips for Generalists

If you’ve made it this far, you’re likely a generalist or feel the pull towards that positioning. If I circle back to the beginning, the key to being successful as a generalist comes down to actually “do” the work.

1. Embrace and Leverage Your Diverse Skillset: Recognize the value of your broad knowledge and experiences across multiple domains. Continuously expand your knowledge and skillset by doing. Fill in the gaps to keep initiatives moving and take the time to understand the new skills you’re developing and how they could be applied elsewhere. Staying relevant is crucial for generalists.

2. Build Your Network: Surround yourself with mentors, coaches, and peers who understand and appreciate the value of being a generalist and understand where you shine. You’re a natural helper, which will open doors a cross your network simply by having it.

3. Skills + Application: Being able to do something in a singular context is rarely helpful. Great generalists can take the information and skills they have collected and apply them in almost any situation. If you don’t immediately see the potential application, ask great questions until it clicks. It eventually will.

4. Chase Your Interests: As generalists we’ve all done work that we’ve loved and some that we would prefer not to do again. While specialists find their own efficiencies and superpowers in reposition, generalists shine when they are in uncharted territory. Lean into that and do your best work.

5. Do More with AI: If you haven’t started tinkering with more advanced applications for AI, you’re behind. I’m not talking about writing an email or outlining some copy. I’m talking about ways to take your contributions a step further. Whether it’s mocking up visuals for a GTM campaign, getting some technical validation for a concept, or outlining an actual approach for executing, find a way to take your work a step further.

Pro Tip: Start by developing a good understanding of prompting and what kind of doors it can unlock for you.